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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIBN AFFAIRS, D E P A ROF~ TE E I ~ o R , OJke Indiam Affaiv8, Nwember 26, 1855. SIR: I have the honor to submit the annual report of this office, accompanied by the usual reports of the superintendents, agenta, teachers, and other employes attached to the Indian service, with copies of various documents emanating from, and addressed to, this bureau ; to all which your attention is respectfully called. The Senecas of the State of New Pork, with the remnants of other of the "Six Nations" residing in that State, have made some im-provement in their educational and other temporal pursuits. The internal dissensions of the Senecas, referred to in former reports, have, in a great degree, ceased. The legislature, with commendable liber-ality, has made an appropriation for the establishment of an asylum for the benefit of the indigent on the Cattaraugus and Alleghany re-serves, and it is understood that measures are in progress to consum-mate the benevolent intentions of the State. New conventional arrangements, deemed requisite with the Indiana in the State of Michigan, have been entered into with the confederate tribe of Ottowas and Chippewas, the Chippewas of Saginaw, and the small band of Chippewas of Swan creek. By them the Indians are to have assigned permanent homes, to be hereafter confirmed to them, in small tracts, in severalty. Such guards and restrictions are thrown around their lands and limited annuities as cannot fail, if faithfully regarded and respected, to place them in comfortable and independent circumstances. It is expected that similar arrangements will be made with the Pottowatomies of Huron, and remnants of other Indian tribes in v Michiean. in time. if aw~roved.t o be acted on and ratified durin-g the appro:ch:chhg sessio'n of%ongre6s. It is gratifying to know that the Indians of Michigan are advancing in the arts of civilized life, increasing in numbers, and many of them now exercising the privileges and discharging the duties of citizens of the State. to which. by her humane and liberal policp, they may , - - .. - all in time attain. .The wrovision made for the Menommee Indians. by the-convention of ~ a ~ ; 1 8 5 48u, pplementary to the t r k t y of 1848; appears to be pro-perly appreciated by the entire tribe. It is provided that the money to be from time to time hereafter appropriated to carry into effect its stipulations, shall be applied under the direction of the President, in such manner as will, it is believed, promote the improvement of these people in all the essentials requisite to educate and make them an agricultural community. Since their present reservation in Wiscon- 8in has been confirmed to them as a permanent home, they have made very gratieing advancement in improvement, and have shown a ready willingness to apply themselves to labor, and otherwise to conform to the habits and metoms of the white race. |